Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

June 2, 1989Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Suffolk County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 2, 1989, 4:00 PM EDT for Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 30 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 2, 1989, 4:00 PM EDT (20:00 UTC)
Expired
Jun 2, 1989, 4:30 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Middlesex County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Suffolk County, MA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 2, 4:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 60Middlesex, MA
Jun 2, 4:15 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 60Norfolk, MA
Jun 2, 4:15 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 60Middlesex, MA
Jun 2, 4:15 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 60Middlesex, MA
Jun 2, 4:20 PM EDTHail 0.75Suffolk, MA
Jun 2, 4:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 60Norfolk, MA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 127 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1220 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 2, 2:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MASSACHUSETTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
215 PM EDT SUN MAY 21 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT CAPE
COD...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXCEPT CAPE COD FOR THE PERIOD FROM 2 PM EDT UNTIL 8 PM EDT.  AT THIS
TIME A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN VERMONT SOUTHWEST
ACROSS THE BERKSHIRES TO SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.  AT 2PM EDT NORTH ADAMS
REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT
ABOUT 40 MPH.

RESIDENTS WITHIN THE WATCH AREA WILL WANT TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THIS
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUcICK ACTION IN CASE SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A
WARNING FOR THEIR AREA IS ISSUED.

THE NEXT STATEMENT ON THIS SITUATION WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SEVICE IN BOSTON AT ABOUT 430 PM EDT OR SOONER IF NEEDED.

DUNNE
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 2:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MASSACHUSETTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
215 PM EDT FRI JUNE 2 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT CAPE
COD...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXCEPT CAPE COD FOR THE PERIOD FROM 2 PM EDT UNTIL 8 PM EDT.  AT THIS
TIME A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN VERMONT SOUTHWEST
ACROSS THE BERKSHIRES TO SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.  AT 2PM EDT NORTH ADAMS
REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT
ABOUT 40 MPH.

RESIDENTS WITHIN THE WATCH AREA WILL WANT TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THIS
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUmICK ACTION IN CASE SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A
WARNING FOR THEIR AREA IS ISSUED.

THE NEXT STATEMENT ON THIS SITUATION WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SEVICE IN BOSTON AT ABOUT 430 PM EDT OR SOONER IF NEEDED.

DUNNE
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 2:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
225 PM EDT FRI JUN 2 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL OF RHODE ISLAND AND COASTAL WATERS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF RHODE ISLAND
AND COASTAL WATERS FROM 2 PM EDT TO 8 PM EDT.  AT THIS TIME A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM SOUTH VERMONT SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE
BERKSHIRES INTO SOUTHEAST NEW YORK STATE.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
EAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH.

RESIDENTS WITHIN THIS WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP A WEATHER EYE OUT ON THIS
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...AND BE PREPARED
TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IN CASE SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING
IS ISSnUED.

.THE NEXT STATEMENT ON THIS SITUATION  WILL BE ISSUED AT ABOUT 430
PM OR SOONER IF NEEDED.
HARTZELL
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 2:59 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
 300 PM EDT FRI JUN 02 1989

 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CONNECTICUT AND
HAMPDEN COUNTY OF MASSACHUSETTS UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

AT 300 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE SOUTH-
WEST INTO WESTERN AND CENTRAL CONNECTICUT.  THIS LINE IS MOVING TO THE
EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS..SMALL HAIL AND
GUSTY WINDS. ALSO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

IF THE SKY BECOMES THREATENING..YOU SHOULD GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY.
REMEMBER LIGHTNING CAN BE A KILLER.

FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED ON THIS WATCH AROUND 400 PM EDT.

WESTER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 2, 3:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex70 min
Jun 2, 4:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester30 min
Jun 2, 4:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.